Art Positive's NYC protest of the removal of David Wojnarowicz's Fire in My Belly from Hide/Seek attracted hundreds of people yesterday in front of the Metropolitan Museum and the Cooper-Hewitt. I'm sorry I missed it (flying) and I'm disappointed that their lead sign only calls out the Smithsonian, not the antigay right wing extremists who demanded the censorship. Hyperallergenic has several photos; the one above was posted by PeeWee to ArtPositive's Facebook page. The Wall Street Journal (via Towleroad) quotes the typically anemic response from the Smithsonian:
Linda St. Thomas, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian, expressed regret that the video's removal had overshadowed the exhibit itself. "One hundred and four pieces remain," she said in a telephone interview. "We're sorry that the video had to become the focal point."
The video is not the focal point here; it's the bigotry and cowardice.
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